Shank-grip slidable side jaw wrench



Sept. 29, 1953 M. w. HUNTER SHANK-GRIP' SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH 3 Sheets-Sheet l- Filed Dec. 4, 1951 INVENTOR.

MELM'OTH W. HUNTER ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1953 M. w. HUNTER 2,653,501

sHANK-GRIP SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed D60. 4, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 26 /ls F/G 7 '2% fu' f S I l l '8 B 22 A l5 29'l4 I6 INVENTOR.

MELMOTH W. HUNTER QQ @md ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1953 M. w. HUNTER SHANK-GRIP SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed DeG. 4, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 40 INVENTOR.

MELMoTH w. HUNTER F/GI /2 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED YSTATES PATENT GFFICE SHANK-GRIP SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Melmoth W. Hunter, Lorain, Ohio Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,827

Claims.

This invention relates'to wrenches, and in particular relates to monkey wrenches. A

A primary object of the invention' isto'provide a monkey wrench having work-engaging jaws which are quickly engageable with work to be turned, such as a nut on a bolt, by simple relative sliding movement of the jaw-supporting parts, and without use of screw or like adjusting means, and including gripping means which is self-operating upon turning the wrench to hold the jaws in firm clamping engagement with said work. Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the character described including a releasable device for limiting outward relative sliding movement of the jaw parts. Y

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of amonkey wrench embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevati-on of the same, the jaws being shown in relative inoperative positions.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, partly broken away, but with the jaws shown in operative positions clamped to a hexagonal nut.

Figure 4 is a cross-section, onthe same scale as before, taken substantially on the line df-t of Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6, are enlarged cross-sections, taken on the lines 5-5 and 6 5, respectively, in Figure 2, illustrating the nonwedging relationship of the parts ink inoperativeV condition of the wrench.

Figures 7 and 8 are similarly enlarged crosssections corresponding to Figures 5 and 6,'respectively, taken on the lines 'F-l and S-- oi Figure 3, and showing the parts in an operative condition of the wrench in which a hexagon nut is clamped between the jaws.

Figure 9 is a top plan view, partly broken away, corresponding to Figure l, and on the same scale, the same showing a modified form of wrench.

Figure l0 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of Fig. 9. v

Figure ll is a cross-section taken substantially on the line l-l l of Figure 9, but with the jaws of the wrenchY in wedging relationship for gripping a nut.

Figure l2' is a cross-sectiontaken substantially on the linek l2-l2 of Figure i1. v Figure 13 is a View similar to Figure '10,` but partly broken away and in section, illustrating another modified form ofthe invention.

Referring particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures l to 8, the numeral" lo designates a wrench head havingan integraljaw extension ii provided with a workengaging surface l2, and an elongated handle I3 extending generally in the opposite direction. In one side face of the head, and extending between opposite edges thereof, is a groove lli defined by opposed parallel undercut portions l5 and I6 having beveled inner faces il and i8 which with a dat inner face I9 of the groove provide said undercut portions with oppositely inwardly diverging wedge shaped cross section. The groove lll is shown extending substantially at right angles to the plane of work-engaging surface l2. n

A relatively movable member 2l has a jaw 22 provided with a work-engaging face 233 substantially parallel to the face l2 of jaw ll, and an integral tongue 2t is slidably retained in groove le by opposite complemental rib portions l5 and i6. The inner face 21 of the tongue may be dat, as shown in Figure l, withr slight clearance provided between the same and the flat inner face of the groove to permit requisite` free sliding adjustment of the member 2l on the wrench head. The ribs 25 and 25 are proportioned so as not to extend laterally to the full depths or the undercut portions to permit full wedging action at diagonally opposite corners A and B of the tongue (see Figure 3), upon turning the wrench while a nut 28 or like work is engaged between the jaws Il and 22.

Stop means is' provided for preventing accidental removal of the member 2l from the head Ill. Accordingly, a length of spring wire has a short end portion 29 received in a hole 30 in the inner face of tongue 24, the remaining portion 3l of the wire being bent toY extend freely along said groove in yielding engagement with the inner face of the same, ashallow groove 32 being provided in said innerface of the tongue to permit slight angular movement of spring portion 3l A hole 33 through the wall of the head centrally of the groove le, provides a stop shoulder iii (see Figure 4) which is engageable by the end of spring portion 3l in a fully open or extended position of movable jaw member 2l. The member 2l may be easily removed from the head upon insertion of a pin or `pointed object through the hole 33 to hold the end of spring portion 3l reeased from engagement with said stop shoulder In yuse of the wrench, described above in connection with Figures 1 to 8, it is first adjusted to the extended position of movable jaw'member 2|, asfshown in Figure 2,;by sliding said jaw memberV 2| along the groovev lli, as limited by engagement of the end ofV spring 3l with stop shoulder 34. In thisA position of the jaws a hexagonal nut 28, for-example, is readily'receivedbetween the same, Yand the jawV member 2| is, then slidinwardly along Vthe groove M unto this point, if no turning movement is applied to the movable member 2l, no wedging action will be applied at the corners A and B (see Figures and 6). In tightening the nut on a relatively fixed bolt 28a, however, the handle I3 is swung in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, thereby tending to urge the jaw 22 apart from relativelyr xed kjaw Il. rIhis latter movement is very slight, however, before the consequent slight turning movement cf the inember 2l is effective to apply wedging action between the diagonally opposite corners of the tongue 24 and corresponding points in the undercut portions l5 and IB of the groove I4, as indicated at A and B in Figures 3, 7 and S. The more pressure applied to tighten the nut the tighter the jaw member will be wedged at the points A and B. When the nut is tightened the wrench is released by a sharp blow applied inwardly to the jaw 22 near the free end thereof. A nut may be loosened from a bolt in exactly the same manner, because upon turning the wrench in counter-clockwise direction the resulting tendency for the jaws to separate applies wedging action Iat the points A and B, as before.

The spring 3l, in addition to serving as a stop means, as described above, prevents rattling of the movable jaw member with respect to the wrench head.

In order that the face 23 of jaw 22 may be parallel to face l2 of the fixed jaw in the clamped position shown in Figure 3 the plane of said face 23 in the inoperative position of the parts, as shown in Figure,2, may converge outwardly toward the plane of face l2 at a slight angle. In that case initial manual adjustment of the jaws to grip the nutas shown in Figure 3 would be effective to apply some degree of locking wedging action at the points A and B, that is, before actual turning movement of the wrench is started. K

Figures 9, 10, 1l and 12 illustrate a modified form of the invention, which is substantially the same in construction and operation as previously described in connection with Figures 1 to 8, except that a movable jaw 36, in tongue-andgroove connection with a head 37 of the wrench, is prevented from rattling in the head by means of a wire-type spring 3S extending along a groove 39, in yielding engagement with the bottom of the wedge-shaped undercut portion 40 adjacent the wrench handle 4|. For retaining the parts together in the inoperative condition of the wrench the spring may extend as shown to urge the movable jaw part into partial wedging engagement with the fixed head. Fig-ure 12 shows the wrench parts in Wedging relation.

The form of the wrench shown in Figure 13 is in al1 respects like the wrench shown in Figures 9 to 12, except that the groove 39a, extends at an obtuse angle to the general plane of the gripping face 42 of the fixed jaw 37a. The groove may also be extended at a similar angle in the opposite direction.

Other modications may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit o'f the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: y

1. A wrench comprising a fixed jaw member having a work-engagingy surface generally in a plane extending longitudinally and laterally of said jaw member between laterally opposite sides thereof, a relatively slidable jaw member having a work-engaging surface opposed to saidwork= 4 engaging surface of the fixed jaw member, said fixed jaw member having a guide groove extending transversely in one said side thereof at a substantial angle to said plane and defined by oppositely undercut side portions of wedgeshaped cross-section, said slidable jaw member having a tongue provided with complementally wedge-shaped portions slidably engaging in said undercut side portions of said groove, said wedgeshaped side portions of the tongue being proportioned so as not to extend to the full depths of said undercut side portions of the groove at diagonally opposite corner portions of said tongue, whereby relative turning movement of said jaw members is effective to apply wedging action at said diagonally opposite corner portions to prevent sliding movement of the slidable jaw relai tively of said yfixed jaw, one of said members having 'a handle thereon for turning the same.

2. A wrench comprising a head provided with a handle extension therefrom and a fixed jaw having a work-engaging surface generally in a plane extending longitudinally and laterally of said head between opposite sides thereof, a slidable jaw having a work-engaging surface opposed to said work-engaging surface of the xed jaw, said head having a groove in one side thereof extending transversely at a substantial angle to said plane and defined by oppositely undercut side portions of oppositely inwardly diverging wedge-shaped cross-section, said slidable jaw having a tongue provided with complementally wedge-shaped side portions complementally slidably engaging in said undercut side portions of said channel, said wedge-shaped side portions of the tongue being proportioned so as not to extend lto the full depths of said undercut side portions of the groove at diagonally opposite corner portions of said tongue, whereby turning movement on said head while work is gripped between said work-engaging surfacesis effective to apply Wedging action at said diagonally opposite corner portions of the tongue to prevent sliding movement of the slidable jaw with respect to said head.

3. A wrench as set forth in claim 2, including an elongated resilient element mounted between said fixed and slidable jaws to extend along said groove in yielding engagement with said inner face of the groove and thereby tending to yieldingly hold said jaws in non-Wedging relationship.

4. A wrench as set forth in claim 3, the inner face of said groove having therein a stop shoulder engageable by a free end on said resilient element to limit outward sliding of said movable member with respect to said head.

5. A wrench as set forth in claim 4, said shoulder recess being an edge portion of a hole extended through the wall of the head.

MELMOTH W. HUNTER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 541,827 Becher .uly 2, i895 1,382,248 Schafer June V21, 1921 1,389,487 Cassel Aug. 30, y19271 1,794,085 Marcuson Feb. 24, 1931 2,390,570 Zindars Dec. 11, 1945 2,472,338 Osterdahl June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 372,150 Germany Mar. 24, 1923 

